Final Year!
by Chloe Walker1
Summary: Draco meets the niece of Severus Snape the summer after his sixth year...find out what happens during his final year Rating is for later chapters and a precaution.
1. Default Chapter

6-2-97 6:15 am  
  
Good Morning Diary,  
  
You wouldn't believe how happy I am. Today is my last day of work at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. As you know I've been working there too pay the rent since my Grandparents passed on. Today is the last day of school at Hogwarts, and my Uncle will be coming off the train sometime this evening after all the students have left the school. My Uncle has agreed to take me in, so I can finish my magical education. I'm sad to say I will no longer be attending Windmore all Witch Academy. My Uncle refused to let me got to THAT all girls' school, as he puts it. So as of September first I'm to start at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was bad enough I was followed around like hawk at Windmore, my grandmother was a good friend with the Headmistress, and now my Uncle will be one of my teachers. I just can't catch a break. Now besides living with my Uncle, he has promised the Headmaster of Hogwarts that he would tutor me over the summer so I will be ready to attend classes next year with all the other seventh year students. Oh well I must sign off for now. Work calls.  
  
Love Always,  
  
Chloe Walker  
  
  
  
Most of the morning passed by smoothly, the students should be arriving from the school around noon, which makes a perfect time for and ice cream lunch. Two hours passes and the shop became increasingly calm, and by the time five o'clock struck there was only one boy left, sitting at a small table in the corner.  
  
"Nice young man, looks kind of lonely. He could probably use a pretty girl like yourself to talk to," Florean said motioning for Chloe to go and talk to the boy.  
  
"But my job? It's my last day and all.but," Chloe started but never had a chance to finish. Florean was pushing her gently towards the table.  
  
"Call it an end," Florean said, sending a double scoop chocolate and strawberry Sunday over to the small corner table.  
  
"You looked like you could use something sweet." Chloe said, making it to the table just as the glass sat it's self-down.  
  
"Thanks!" The boy said motioning for Chloe to sit down.  
  
"Haven't seen you before.are you new in town?" Chloe asked.  
  
"Nah! I go to school around here. I'm waiting for a professor of mine. I'm spending the summer with him. I'm tutoring his niece and sort of learning to do his job."  
  
"I see so you're don't with you schooling?"  
  
"No, not exactly. I have one more year. I'm just doing him a favor, as he is for me."  
  
The two sat there chatting for some time, until the door to the shop opened and in walked Severus Snape. 


	2. Ch2

"Wonderful you two have taken the liberty of getting to know each other. Now if we could." Severus said motioning towards the door.  
  
"You know him?" The boy asked following Severus.  
  
"Yeah, he's my Uncle. You know all the time we've talked I never did get your name." Chloe said.  
  
"Draco Malfoy, and you are?"  
  
"Chloe Walker." And with that the two caught up to Severus who was waiting impatiently at the end of a dark alley.  
  
"It's about time. Hold onto each other. . . Chloe your hand," Severus said reaching down to pick up a small piece of paper. Within seconds Chloe felt and odd jerk just behind her navel and was soon landing hard on a floor.  
  
"Not use to that huh?" Draco asked offering her a hand.  
  
"Your rooms are upstairs, if you feel the need to argue over them do so; you are both adult enough to make your own decisions.Chloe have you brought all your things?" Chloe nodded, holding up a box that resembled a muggle tackle box.  
  
"Good you and Draco can spend the evening unshrinking your objects. Draco your things have been brought here by the school elves, and you have both been given wavers for the summer. You are allowed to do magic. Just don't hurt each other!" Severus said and walked out of the entrance hall, and into his library.  
  
"Let's go!" Draco said, walking towards the stairs. "Are you coming?"  
  
"What. . . oh yeah. Sorry, that's not exactly how I remembered him." The two climbed the 27 steps that lead to the long hallway of the second floor.  
  
"Well, I guess these are the rooms," Draco said after they walked about half way down the hall.  
  
"I use to stay in this room as a kid; it hasn't changed a bit," Chloe said noticing the purple shimmer princess style bed, the matching window seat, and the wonderful walk-in closet next to the only bathroom on the second floor.  
  
"Wonder why he said we'd argue? This isn't really my style." Draco said with an evil grin on his face. "Make it pink and it just might work."  
  
"Probably trying to be funny, but it didn't exactly work. If you need to use the loo it's through that door. It's the only one on this floor. If you don't feel like walking downstairs to go just knock on the door, and I'll let you use that one." Chloe said removing things from her small box.  
  
The next morning Draco and Chloe started a two-week review of everything the normal sixth year student would learn. Severus let Draco do most of the teaching.  
  
"Does he not realize I'm not having to work at this stuff? I know it, we learned it at Windmore before I left." Chloe said on the 14th day of the review.  
  
"I know that, you know that, but come on it's Professor Snape we're talking about." Draco said in a hushed voice.  
  
"Good Morning! If you two are hungry there is food in the kitchen.I have been called away for a few days. You don't need to keep going, unless you wish to practice. And while I'm gone DO NOT let anybody or thing except owls into this house. IS THAT CLEAR?"  
  
"Yes, but. . . " Chloe started.  
  
"NOT NOW! I must go! Be safe." Severus said with a pained look in his eyes, which soon disappeared with him. 


	3. Ch3

"Come on. Let's go get breakfast and I'll tell you about the school," Draco said putting a gentle hand on Chloe's back to lead her down to the kitchen.  
  
"What'd he leave us?" Chloe asked.  
  
"Who knows. Probably oatmeal again," Draco said making a face, "You hungry for real food?"  
  
"What would you classify as real food?"  
  
"Bacon and Eggs?" Draco said flicking his wand at the stove.  
  
"Wow, I never figured you to be the domestic type." Chloe said with a smirk.  
  
"Yeah, well, I grew up with a nanny who liked to cook. Now, about the school," Draco said changing the subject. "what do you want to know?"  
  
"Anything!"  
  
"Alright! Dumbledore's the Headmaster; however, we sometimes question his sanity. Strange man he is. McGonagall is Deputy Headmistress, head of Gryffindor house, and Transfigurations teacher. Sprout is head of Hufflepuff house and Herbology teacher. Flintwick is head of Ravenclaw and charms teacher." Draco continued on well through breakfast about the school.  
  
"Well, I'll probably forget it all by September. But I'm sure I'll manage.now what house are you in?"  
  
"Isn't it obvious?"  
  
"Not really."  
  
"Slytherin with your uncle."  
  
"Really? I can't see that in you . . . partly because you COOK and have been nothing but pleasant with me . . . except for the times I've hexed you." Chloe said with a smile.  
  
The summer passed by quickly. Draco and Chloe spent the days outside, usually in the lake behind the manor or in the yard studying. Their evenings were spent talking in the house. Occasionally, Severus would be home for a meal or sometimes to sleep, but with two weeks left of summer he is called away again.  
  
"Chloe . . . Chloe . . . CHLOE! ! ! !" Draco called looking in and out of rooms all the way down the hall looking for Chloe.  
  
"What?" Chloe asked sticking her head out of the library as Draco was walking by.  
  
"Severus was looking for you but has already left. He will be gone until the night before we leave for Hogwarts." Draco said noticing the book Chloe had in her hand. "What's that?"  
  
"A book." Chloe said banishing it back to one of Snape's over stuffed bookshelves.  
  
"Obviously." Draco said while rolling his eyes. 


	4. Ch4

As the evening crept upon them, dark clouds began to roll in. At about half past midnight the storm started. The thunderous booms outside startled Chloe.  
  
"Why tonight?" Chloe said aloud. She wondered why the storm couldn't have been during the day. Uncle Severus was home during the day yesterday, but now all she had was Draco. Not that it's a bad thing. She threw her covers off and started to walk across the hall, when she hard Draco talking to somebody.  
  
". . . He has said your services will be greatly appreciated." The woman in the fireplace said.  
  
"Yes, I have heard . . . Father has told me." Draco said looking expressionless at the face of the woman.  
  
"Very good!" She said and was gone.  
  
Chloe found herself standing outside his door unable to move. Once she was able to muster enough courage to knock on the door Draco answered it quickly in a pair of dark green, silk pajama pants.  
  
"What's wrong you look scared to death."  
  
Chloe nodded.  
  
"Come on what's wrong?" Draco said leading her into his room.  
  
"I . . . I'm just not fond of . . ." Chloe never finished her sentence; the thunder roared and she nearly jumped out of her skin.  
  
"I see."  
  
"Do you mind company?" Chloe asked grabbing a pillow off the head of the bed.  
  
"Not at all; but I must say, I could get used to this." Draco said as Chloe slipped under the covers next to him.  
  
"Oh . . . well then, I might just have to make a habit of this." Chloe said scooting over as a bolt of lightning lit up the bedroom.  
  
"Are you sure you're scared of the storm?"  
  
"Positive! Why do you ask?"  
  
"Curious . . ."  
  
"Draco, can I ask you a question?" "Yes?"  
  
"Who were you talking to earlier?" Chloe asked.  
  
"Ahh . . . that was my Mother. How much did you hear?"  
  
"Enough to get the idea you'll be working for somebody next summer."  
  
"Oh . . ."  
  
"You don't sound to happy about it."  
  
"It's something I knew would eventually happen. Exactly how much do you know about your uncle's past?"  
  
"Well, I know pretty much everything good and BAD!"  
  
"So you know about his time with . . . um . . ." Draco hesitated.  
  
"Voldemort? Yes."  
  
"Okay . . . so you know . . . well um . . . my father was also a Death Eater . . . still is . . . and he's offered my services to him."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"I've known since about two days before school finished."  
  
"Does Uncle Severus know?"  
  
"I haven't told him directly . . . he probably figures . . . but I didn't tell him because I didn't want a lecture from him, or for him to tell you."  
  
"Would it have made a difference if he had told me?"  
  
"Don't know. You know now!"  
  
"Yeah and I haven't been scared away . . . you're too comfortable."  
  
"Maybe it's a good thing I waited to tell you. Now you know I'm not completely evil."  
  
"Yep . . . definitely comfortable. And warm too." Chloe said scooting over some more to lay her head on his shoulder.  
  
"Are you . . ." Draco started but stopped when he looked at Chloe and found her sleeping with her arm draped over his stomach with her head on his shoulder. 'I could definitely get use to this.' Draco thought as he pulled his covers up around Chloe and himself. 


	5. Ch5

The next morning Chloe woke up in Draco's room alone. As her memory of last night came alive, she suddenly felt numb. Draco wasn't exactly who she thought he was. 'He's never hurt me before! And he never will!' Chloe thought as she climbed out of the warm bed.  
  
"Thought you were going to sleep all day," Draco said looking at the clock on the wall.  
  
"Well . . . your bed was comfy, and warm."  
  
"Really? Yes, I agree my bed is comfortable!"  
  
"Well . . ."  
  
"You seem to like that word this morning."  
  
"Yes . . . w . . . I slept better last night, than I have all summer. Can you explain that?"  
  
"WELL . . . It could possibly just be that my bed was comfortable." Draco said.  
  
"Yes . . . possibly . . . or maybe it was you," Chloe said with one eyebrow raised.  
  
"WELL . . . we'll just have to find out," Draco said slowly.  
  
"How do you think we should go about that?"  
  
"WELL, we . . ."  
  
"Stop mocking me! ! !" Chloe said swatting at his arm.  
  
"Do I have to? Oh all right! We could stay in your room tonight."  
  
"Fine . . ." Chloe said walking out of the room, "I'm going outside to read. For the storm we had last night, the weather is wonderful today." Before Draco could respond Chloe was out the kitchen door and headed for the library.  
  
Ever since the second day at Severus' house Chloe had refused to wear wizard robes. She said they were much too warm to wear in the summer. Today was no different from the rest; Chloe was dressing in a pair of muggle jean shorts and a spaghetti-strap tank top. Draco sat staring at the doorframe where Chloe had just left. 'Something's different this morning . . . maybe reading outside does sound good.' He thought. Once outside Draco stood there admiring Chloe. She wasn't really anything like her uncle. She was small with blue eyes, her hair was dark but it was accented with a caramel color. She was still pale, despite the amount of time the two of them spent in the lake. And then, it hit him . . . it wasn't him who was different, it was her. He had looked her over as usual, but she hadn't done the normal; she hadn't tried to hex him. He didn't honestly know how long he had been standing there when he heard her voice.  
  
"Draco! . . . How long do you plan to star at me? You are in my light." Chloe said. He didn't move, or take his eyes off of her. She had turned over and was now on her back glaring up at him. He noticed she didn't look happy.  
  
"Oh . . . right. Sorry." He said not quite sure what she had said.  
  
"Are you . . ." Chloe started, and then I happened; she was half sitting up, resting on her elbows, he was sitting on the ground next to her, neither one had time to think, it was almost magnetic. He kissed her? She kissed him? They didn't honestly know. When the kiss was over Draco spoke first.  
  
"I half expected you to hex me from here to tomorrow."  
  
"Well, two days ago I probably would have . . . I still might . . . if you don't do it again."  
  
"What are you reading?' Draco asked lying down on the grass next to Chloe. Her book was a sky blue color without writing, but it had clouds all over the cover.  
  
"Nothing much . . . just something I got interesting in at Windmore."  
  
"There's no words!"  
  
"They're there just give um time . . . the book has to trust you."  
  
"Okay? The words are there, but I still don't quite understand."  
  
"Have you ever heard of Weather Manipulation?" Chloe asked turning to face Draco.  
  
"Sort of . . . it's not some . . . wait a minute, that storm last night . . . did you manipulate that?"  
  
"Not directly . . . I wrote a couple of friends from Windmore. I know how to stop my own storms, but other peoples are impossible to figure out."  
  
"I understand completely now!" Draco said sarcastically, "You didn't actually not like me."  
  
"Exactly . . . I LIKED you but didn't know how you felt, so . . . I wrote to Zoë and Alexis."  
  
"You went through all that . . . wouldn't it have been easier to just ask me?"  
  
"That's making it too simple . . . I like challenges."  
  
"The logic of the female mind worries me."  
  
"You'll get use to me . . . I'm not as complicated as I look." Chloe sad turning over to lay on her stomach and continued reading her book. 


	6. Ch6

Later that night:  
  
"You should really cook more often. This is much better than anything I ever manage to burn." Chloe said.  
  
"Your cooking is not that bad . . . It's," Draco started.  
  
"HORRIBLE!?!?"  
  
"It's not the best . . . but with practice you'll be fine." Draco said getting up from the table to let in the grayish colored owl in the window.  
  
"Hey Zipper." Chloe said talking the letter from the small bird, while handing it some breadcrumbs.  
  
"Who's it from?"  
  
"Zoë and Alexis . . . they're *thunder* making another storm."  
  
"Oh? What else?" Draco asked seeing a full page of parchment.  
  
"Girl stuff, they talked about a few girls from Windmore . . . Zoë's boyfriend . . ."  
  
"Your boyfriend?"  
  
"No . . . not anymore, and a few other things."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Really what?"  
  
"No boyfriend?"  
  
"No, not anymore . . ."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"You're nosey!"  
  
"You're avoiding my question."  
  
"Yeah so?" Chloe sighed. After about five minutes of his ice blue eyes staring at her, she gave up. "What do you want to know?"  
  
"Who he is? Why you're not together anymore? You said it yourself I'm nosey." Draco said with a shrug.  
  
"His name is Brenton Davis. He's a grandson to my grandmother's closest friend. I've done a lot of thinking about him and I . . . and you . . . and I came to the conclusion I know more abut you in the short time we've spent here, than I do about him in the year and a half we've 'been' together. I decided you were more worth the risk of getting hurt."  
  
"A how do you know if I'm single or not?" Draco asked with and odd expression on his face.  
  
"It's worth the risk." Chloe said waving her wand at the sink to send the dishes to clean themselves.  
  
"Is it?"  
  
"I don't know, you tell me." Chloe said jumping slightly at the claps of thunder outside.  
  
The rest of the night slowly crept by. Chloe spent most of the might curled up in an armchair by the fire in the library. Draco was doing almost the same thing in an identical chair just opposite her.  
  
"What is it with you and weird books? First, your weather book, and now . . . WHERE DID YOU GET THAT AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH IT?!?!" Draco asked sounding alarmed, after recognizing the unmistakable skull with the snake.  
  
Obviously her knew what it was; he had seen the marking many times. Severus had one, his father had one, and he was destine to have one as well.  
  
"I figured if you could be nosey, so could I." Chloe said never removing her eyes from the book.  
  
"Your point being?"  
  
"You didn't sound thrilled about working for him, so I thought about it, and remembered I saw this book a week ago hiding behind a different book. I decided to read it. Just to see what kid of choices you had."  
  
"I'll explain later, before I go to sleep . . . I'm going to take a bath now, and I'll finish reading this." Chloe said walking out of the library and p the stairs towards her bathroom.  
  
As the bathtub filled with steamy water and soothing bubbles, Chloe flicked her wand to light the candles in the room. She reread the worst part of the book. 'How do I explain this?' she thought. She then put the book down and sank to the back of the tub to relax. Some time later there was a knock on the door.  
  
"You okay? You've been in here nearly two hours." Draco asked walking into the humid bathroom.  
  
"Huh? Oh yeah I'm fine . . . I fell asleep." Chloe said.  
  
"That comfortable?"  
  
"Yeah Chloe said motioning for Draco to leave. Within minutes Chloe was dried, dressed, and ready for bed. When she stepped out of the bathroom Draco was sitting on her bed waiting for her to tell him the way out.  
  
"Where's the book?" Draco asked.  
  
"I sent it back to the library. I . . . um remember it."  
  
"Alright . . . and?"  
  
"it's complicated, but I have an idea. This will take a lot of free time to be worked out properly, and it definitely needs to be thought out very carefully, but it can be done. "  
  
"Okay now what does it say?"  
  
"Sacrifice . . ." Chloe said with a shaky voice, "A human sacrifice. One must be sacrifice a person who is dear to them. This person has to meet certain standards. My idea is the we tamper with some spells and possibly potions, so that we'll be able to some how put the death eaters to sleep, and some how rebound the spell that is meant to hit the sacrifice."  
  
"Thus defeating Voldemort."  
  
"And pretty much anybody else we want, and if you think about it the spell that is going to kill him will be his own spell so we can't get into trouble."  
  
"What are these standards?"  
  
". . . Muggle born, or ½ blood . . . the person must know the sacrifice very well, the sacrifice has to be approved by a Death Eater . . . and so on!"  
  
"So that rules you out! Good! You're pure blood."  
  
"Not exactly." Chloe said shaking her head, "My father was a muggle. Both of my parents were killed when I was little."  
  
"Death Eaters?"  
  
"Yeah . . . that's why my uncle decided he wanted out." Chloe said.  
  
"How did you manage to stay alive?"  
  
I wasn't home. I was spending the night with my grandparents. I was six months old. It was their two year anniversary."  
  
"I see. Now how are we going to go about this plan of yours?" Draco asked pulling back the purple covers and climbing into bed. 


	7. Ch7

"Well, to start off we get to know each other better, and once we get to Hogwarts, we used their library . . . I guess we cold start here, but every book we use has to be in the exact place." Chloe said following Draco to the bed. "He knows where very book goes."  
  
"We'll start tomorrow . . . but for now tell me about Windmore, or your uncle when he was younger." Draco said with amusement in his voice.  
  
"Windmore was, and still is, a snooty, stuck-up, rich girl school. Absolutely horrible! I had few friends, because I wasn't 'LIKE' them. I had a connection to the Headmistress. My best friends Zoë and Alexis were her granddaughters, and my boyfriend . . . ex-boyfriend is her grandson, I met him because of Zoë and Alexis. It's all a vicious cycle."  
  
"Now what about your uncle?"  
  
"What do you want to know?"  
  
"Anything . . . do you know about his school days?"  
  
"Not much. Just that he was always an odd child. Always in the dungeons."  
  
"He hasn't changed much!"  
  
"Grandmother Snape use to tell me about him as a small child, when I would stay here with them. His familiar was a gardener snake named cutie!" Chloe said pausing to let Draco finish laughing, " He also use to have a muggle rubber ducky . . . I've got pictures of that. I'll show you sometime. I use to spend every summer here. He used to spoil me rotten. Everything involved magic. Since I lived with y father's parents, and they were muggle, he was afraid I wouldn't be up to Snape qualifications. For birthdays and holidays he would send something magical, whether it was textbooks, brooms . . . you name I probably got it from him. Summers were great. We would read together, he eve put that old swing out there on the tree for me. He's so different not." Chloe said pulling the covers up to her chin. "he's hardly spoken to me all summer."  
  
"That's how he is . . . he doesn't speak to anybody." Draco said wrapping his arms around Chloe.  
  
"I guess so . . ." Chloe said scooting closer to Draco as the storms magnitude increased. "You know Draco, if I didn't know better I'd say you were enjoying this storm."  
  
"Possibly." Draco said with a questioning tone to his voice. "Or maybe it's not the storm at all."  
  
"DRACO MALFOY YOU WOULDN'T! AAAHHHHH!" Chloe yelled as Draco stated to tickle.  
  
"Oh yes I would . . . already di. . ." Draco started, but was tackled by Chloe before he could finish his sentence.  
  
"Two can play at that game." Chloe said sitting on top of Draco, and holding his arms down.  
  
Draco didn't respond at first he just stared open mouthed at Chloe. 'Wow didn't think she had it in her.' He thought with a smirk.  
  
"What's that smirk for? Do I have something on my face?"  
  
"Huh?" Draco asked.  
  
"You're staring at me!"  
  
"Oh . . . sorry! I was just thinking of how to do this . . ." Draco said reversing their position so Chloe was now on her back. "Without hurting you."  
  
"Don't worry about it . . . this definitely doesn't hurt." Chloe said pulling Draco down to her by his nightshirt.  
  
. . . The next morning  
  
As Chloe walked into the kitchen she saw Draco sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in on hand and the Daily Prophet in the other.  
  
"Your bed sleeps much better." Chloe said pouring herself a cu of coffee.  
  
"Gee I wonder why that is? Could it be was actually attempted to sleep in my bed?" Draco asked eyeing Chloe's choice of clothing.  
  
"What are you staring at?"  
  
"You're wearing that today?"  
  
"No!" Chloe said looking down at her nightdress. "I wore it last night . . . well part of the night."  
  
"Oh yes, I remember now. I stepped over it this morning on my way down here." Draco said with a slight smile playing at his lips. Chloe gave a slight cough as her cheeks reddened. "You're blushing!" Draco said with a laugh.  
  
"This isn't exactly something I talk about every morning."  
  
"Well then lets go start looking things up in the library."  
  
"Alright . . . what do you want to start with . . . protection, spells, or potions?" Chloe asked as the left the kitchen and headed for the library. 


	8. Ch8

"Spells. You go for protection, you're the one going to need it, and we'll do potions once we reach Hogwarts." Draco said.  
  
"Yeah!" Chloe said with a shaky voice.  
  
"Did the book say how the sacrifice would be done?"  
  
"Well obviously it's done by magic . . . I have to be awake. It said I will be bound by magic . . . and my wand will be used against me. Not necessarily to kill me but some how against me. Some how, if possible we need to use my wand to misfire, but since you'll have my wand I'll be left defenseless. I should probably buy a new one in Diagon Alley when we go for our books."  
  
"How did you come up with all of this?" Draco asked.  
  
"Bathtub . . . last night." Chloe said setting herself into the comfy couch next to Draco, with Cheris Hazelwood's magical book of protection charms. About an hour passed. "Did you hear something?" Chloe asked, banishing her book back to the shelves.  
  
"You're paranoi . . ." Draco stared but finished by sending his book back to the shelves as well.  
  
"Paranoid huh? Chloe said pushing Draco towards the kitchen; wands drawn.  
  
*CRASH*  
  
"On the count of three. One, two, three!" Draco yelled as Chloe and himself jumped through the kitchen doorway.  
  
"Expelliarmus!" Draco yelled as Chloe screamed, "Furnuculs!"  
  
"Aahhh! What do you think you're doing! . . . Make it stop!" Severus roared.  
  
"Oh my!" Chloe said.  
  
"Finite Incantum." Draco said pointing his want at Severus.  
  
"What is the meaning of all of this?" Severus asked pointing Chloe and Draco towards the kitchen table.  
  
"You . . . you told us not o let anybody into the house. We didn't know it was you." Chloe said starting to cry.  
  
"I didn't say for you to hex anybody!"  
  
"We were just protecting your house." Draco said draping an arm around Chloe's shoulder to calm her down.  
  
"Why are you crying?" Severus asked giving Chloe a dirty look, "What?" he asked as Chloe got up and ran towards her room.  
  
"Isn't it obvious . . . you yelled at her. She was only doing something you asked us to do." Draco said excusing himself so he could check on Chloe. As Draco left Severus sat and stared at the empty chair where Chloe had just been.  
  
'This is going to be and interesting year.' Severus thought.  
  
Upstairs  
  
"Go Away!" Chloe yelled after Draco had knocked at the door.  
  
"I can't do that." Draco said lying down on the bed.  
  
"Sure you can . . . all you have to do is get up and leave." Chloe said with a bitter tone to her voice.  
  
"It's not that simple. Nothing is that simple. Especially around you uncle. I've known the man most of my life and he reminds me a lot of my father. The only things I've learned from my father are, to shut the hell up, and grin and bare it." Draco said pushing Chloe off her stomach to face him.  
  
"Is it so hard to be nice?"  
  
"Depends!"  
  
"Do you guys ever give straight answers?"  
  
*Shrug* "Sometimes."  
  
"That's a real confidence builder."  
  
"We give straight answers when we know what we want."  
  
"You and every other man alive!" Chloe said pushing Draco's wandering had away. Outside her door stood a very shocked looking Severus Snape. After about ten minutes of silence.  
  
"Look at it from you uncle's point of view. You use to stay here when you were little right? Well, you're not little anymore. Maybe he just doesn't know how to . . . deal with this age. When you were little all he had to do was keep you entertained. You're a lot different than you were when you were five. Give him time!" Draco said pulling Chloe closer to him.  
  
"I guess you're right. I just expected everything to be the same."  
  
"Maybe you should talk to him before school starts."  
  
"Yeah . . . thanks for not leaving." Chloe said and kissed Draco's cheek. "I'll be right back." Chloe wandered around for several minutes looking for Severus, before she decided to check his room. Sure enough there he was sitting in their favorite spot. Chloe walked slowly towards the black velvet window seat.  
  
"It was a lot easier when you were little. You remind me so much of you mother. Before all I had to worry about was ho to keep you busy, but now it's all so odd."  
  
"You were upstairs earlier?"  
  
"Yeah . . . what Draco said is all true." *Chloe nods her agreement* "You're grown up now . . . and I . . . well"  
  
"Uncle Severus I've never heard you stutter . . . It can't be that bad."  
  
"I saw you and Draco . . ."  
  
"NO . . . please don't go into 'THE TALK' . . . it was bad enough coming from Grandma."  
  
"That's good. I really didn't know what to say."  
  
"Who ever does, but I'm glad I cam down here." Chloe said attacking sever and pulling him into a bear hug.  
  
"Me too." He said slightly startled. All he could think to do was pat the top of Chloe's head. "Make sure the two of you are completely packed. We are going to Diagon Alley tomorrow for you school supplies. You and Draco will have to gather them yourselves; I am needed at the school. I have made these coins into port keys that will activate at 10:30 no matter what . . . they will take you to the alley outside of the ice cream parlor. You should probably start packing.  
  
"Are we coming back here tomorrow night?"  
  
"No I've gotten you two a room at the inn."  
  
"Alright . . . see you at dinner." Chloe said leaving the room. Once upstairs Chloe walked back into her room to find Draco sitting on her window seat reading on of her books.  
  
"How can you read this stuff?" Draco asked, while closing the book.  
  
"I don't anymore . . . that was one of the books my Grandma Walker use to read to me when I was five . . . this might be more interesting." Chloe said replacing the childe book with a book titled The Guide to The Supernatural world and Ghosts, by Denina Gurwich. While Draco examined the book, Chloe began to dig out her trunk, and supplies from Windmore.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Rearranging . . . I forgot to tell you." Chloe said and proceeded to inform Draco of their plans for tomorrow.  
  
By the time dinner was over it was around 8:30 p.m., and Chloe still hadn't finished packing.  
  
"How can you not be finished?" Draco asked as the two walked slowly back upstairs.  
  
"I'm having a hard time deciding what to bring."  
  
"What do you have packed so far?"  
  
"Um . . ." Chloe hesitated.  
  
"Well?"  
  
"Underwear." Chloe said in a flat tone.  
  
"Oh." Draco said obviously shocked.  
  
"You asked." Chloe said with a laugh, "What do that wear on the weekends?"  
  
"Depends on what house you're in. Most wear muggle clothes with a cloak of some sort. Others wear robes all the time."  
  
"Oh I see." Chloe said walking over to her closet door, "Care to help?"  
  
"Why not." Draco said walking inside the closet.  
  
"How about this?" Chloe asked.  
  
"No go for the black one." Draco said. This went on for a long time until Chloe was almost over packed.  
  
"See you in the morning." Draco said and left to go to his room.  
  
The next morning Chloe walked into the kitchen to see Draco and Severus waiting for her.  
  
"You better hurry . . . we leave in ten minutes." Severus said taking a sip of his coffee.  
  
With a slight squeak Chloe turned and ran from the kitchen towards her bathroom. Ten minutes later Draco and Chloe were standing next to Severus in the very same alley they left from in June. 


	9. Ch9

"Now here are your letters, school lists, and the key to your room." Severus said and walked out of the ally. Throughout the day Chloe and Draco roamed the streets of Diagon Ally collecting their school supplies, and books.  
  
"You want to go get a wand?" Draco asked.  
  
"Yeah lets go. But what exactly did I do to my old one?"  
  
"Lost it." Draco said with a slight attitude.  
  
"Alright?" Chloe said following Draco towards Olivander's.  
  
"Why the attitude?"  
  
"Don't worry about it . . . nothing personal." Draco said hoping Chloe would drop it.  
  
As the two entered the shop Mr. Olivander appeared from behind a row of shelves. "Ah young Master Malfoy what can I do for you?" Mr. Olivander asked with a forced smile.  
  
"She needs a wand." Draco said with the attitude locked securely in place.  
  
"I see, and you are?"  
  
"Chloe Walker."  
  
"Okay Chloe, is this your first wand?"  
  
"No. I lost when I moved recently."  
  
"I see." Mr. Olivander said rummaging through several boxes. "Try this one." After about 12 wands Chloe found the perfect one, she paid for her wand (7" Holly Phoenix Feather), and followed a crabby looking Draco towards the inn. Neither said a word on the walk.  
  
"So are you going to explain and hopefully DROP the attitude?" Chloe asked while moving things in her trunk around to fit her new school supplies.  
  
"It's honestly nothing personal. It's the image my family has . . . I'm not proud of it. It's just something I have to have, for now."  
  
"And this image has to apply to everybody around you?"  
  
"Something like that." Draco said collapsing lazily on one of the beds. "You understand?"  
  
"No, not really, it seems dumb if you ask me. So how long is this going to last?" "Not sure, probably most of the time at school because of the people in my house. Most of their families know mine fairly well, and it would look odd if I suddenly changed.  
  
"I see. I guess if that's the case you may just find yourself jinxed, hexed, or possibly even hogtied from the Quidditch goal posts." Chloe said flopping down next to Draco.  
  
"Hogtied?"  
  
"Don't worry about it. It's not that important. It's a muggle term my dad used.  
  
"What exactly does this hogtied thing involve?" 


	10. ch10

"Not something you want to have happen. It won't be pleasant." Chloe said crawling under the covers.

The next morning was chaotic. Chloe and Draco woke up late; therefore they ended up dressing packing, and leaving in a hurry. They needed to reach the train before 10 o'clock. Once on the platform Draco quietly explained where to place the owls, where he will be, and then he was gone. With Draco no completely out of sight Chloe made her way onto the train, in search of an empty compartment. Toward the back of the train there was a compartment with only four people.

"Excuse me. May I sit here?" Chloe asked opening the door slightly.

"Sure. I'm Neville, this is Ginny, Ron, and Luna."

"Hello. I'm Chloe."

Everyone exchanged their greetings, and continued doing their own things. Luna was busy reading something that looked like a muggle gossip magazine, Ron was staring out the window, Ginny was reading a fashion magazine, and Neville had open his 7th year Herbology book. Chloe slowly relaxed and dug through her bag for the book she had 'borrowed' from her uncle.

"Whacha reading?" Ron asked looking over at Chloe.

"Oh, um just a book on directing spells." Chloe said putting her book away, trying to avoid any more attention.

"You don't have to put it away."

"Its really not that interesting, it was . . . a gift. I thought it might be good."

"I see. You're not exactly first year material why are you just starting now?" Ron asked not bothering to be subtle about it.

"My Grandparents passed away recently and my uncle refuses to pay for an overpriced, minimally effective education at Windmore when I could get exactly the same thing at Hogwarts."

"Ah, but Hogwarts isn't a bad school." Ron said defending Hogwarts.

"I never said it was. I've never been there."

"Quite charming really." Luna said.

"Yes I have to agree." Neville said shaking his head up and down.

"Agree to what?" A boy who had just entered the compartment asked.

"That Hogwarts is charming." Ron said pointing out what Luna had earlier.

"I've never thought of it that way before, but yes it is. It's wonderful. I'm Hermione Granger by the way." Hermione said extending her hand to Chloe.

"Chloe Walker."

"I'm Harry."

"Um . . . nice toe meet you."

"Are you new? I've never seen you before." Hermione asked.

"Yeah. I moved in with my uncle who wouldn't pay for my other school like my grandparents did before the passed away."

"What about your parents." Ron asked.

"They were killed during the first war."


	11. Ch11

"Oh . . . Sorry!" Ron said glancing at Harry and then to his shoes.

"It's okay I'm use to it. The kids at my old school were notorious for asking questions about my parents."

"So Chloe what year are you?" Hermione asked trying to change the subject for Harry's sake.

"I'm a 7th year, but I spent most of the summer being tutored because I missed so much of my 6th year."

"Really? . . . It must be great to be able to do magic over the summer, and outside of school! It's so close I can almost taste it."

"It was pretty cool, until I mixed up my uncle as a burglar and hexed him."

"You hexed your uncle?"

"Yeah by mistake, he apparated into the house but I had set up a new coat rack where he normally apparates to, he fell over it and I thought he was breaking into the house, so I hexed him." Chloe said with a slight laugh.

"Ooh I bet it was fun living with him after that." Luna said looking up from her reading.

"Oh yeah! If you knew him you'd understand." Chloe said shaking her head. "It wasn't bad most of the summer he wasn't home. I spent most days with my tutor and nights I would read in the library."

"You have a library in your house?" Hermione nearly yelled with excitement.

"Yeah it's a pretty good size one. My uncle is a big book collector. Many of his books are full of research or something educational, but still it's wonderful."

"Oh great . . . we've got another Hermione on our hands." Ron whispered to Harry who was eyeing the necklace that hung around Chloe's neck.

"Huh?" Harry asked louder than he should have.

"What's wrong Harry?" Luna asked.

"Nothing, I thought I heard Ron say something." As everyone turned to look at a slightly red-faced Ron, the compartment door slid open causing everyone to turn away from Ron.

"Well . . . well . . . well Potter your little following gets larger every year." Draco said laughing.

"Do you have a problem with me sitting here **Draco**." Chloe asked.

"Wha . . . I . . . Why would I care where **you** sit?"

"You seem to have been looking at me. Generally when a person looks at another and speaks it's to that person." Chloe said walking over to the doorway where Draco was leaning.

"What are you doing Walker?"

"The only thing I know how! I, just like the rest of my family don't take kindly to being mocked. I will not accept it from you or anybody else." Chloe said poking her finger into Draco's chest causing him to move back into the hallway.

Once Draco was out the door Chloe shut it and spun on her heals to go towards her seat when the door opened again. Draco walked in grabbed Chloe by the arm and pulled her out while saying, "We need to talk" in a low growl.


	12. Ch12

Once inside a Slytherin compartment . . .

"What the Hell do you think you are doing?" Draco said trying not the raise his voice above a whisper.

"The exact same thing any other Snape would do. It's going to come out sooner or later that he's my uncle, I might as well not act any different then I normally would. We can either come to an understanding now or I can continue to argue with you. It's really all up to you." Chloe said crossing her arms.

"Now is not a good time . . . there are too many people around. Here's a room number meet me after 9 tonight in here." Draco said handing Chloe a slip of parchment, and pulled her in for a quick kiss.

Once out of the Slytherin compartment Chloe pushed her way back towards the end of the train. The compartment in the back was full of questions when Chloe returned.

"Are you okay?" Ginny and Hermione asked.

"Did he hurt you?" Harry asked.

"What did he want?" Ron asked.

"You should tell a professor." Neville said.

"Did he kiss you?" Luna asked in a wistful voice.

"WHAT!?!" Everybody asked in unison.

"**_DID HE KISS YOU_**?" Luna asked again slightly louder and slower.

"Where did you come up with that?" Ginny asked.

"Isn't it obvious? The sexual tension between our new friend Chloe and Malfoy was enough to de-flight a Hippogriff."

Looking at that compartment full of questioning faces made Chloe's face grow steadily red.

"See it's true, there is something going on between you two!" Luna said as if stating something that was very plain to see.

"We all want to know now!" Ginny said pulling Chloe back to her seat.

"There's really nothing to know." Chloe said.

"Sure there is you obviously know each other. HOW?" Luna asked.

"He was my tutor!" Chloe said still red-in-the-face.

"Bloody Hell woman what did he tutor you in?" Ron asked looking slightly appalled at the thought of Draco doing something nice.

"Everything really. We . . ." groan "we covered most of the average 6th year text books." Chloe finished her sentence after a groan from Ron.

Sigh "I thought you were going to tell us something else." Ron said.

"Why would I tell you something like that? We've only just met." Chloe said blushing.

"Ah sweet Chloe there is no need to vocally tell us. The look on your face says it all." Luna said with nods of agreement from Ginny and Hermione and confused looks from Ron, Neville, and Harry.

"It does?" Neville asked looking harder at Chloe than before.

"Of course, but if you can't see it that's your own problem." Ginny said giving Chloe a sly grin.

"Look at that . . . we're here at the school." Hermione said grabbing Harry's arm and pulling him out to help the first years.

"What do I do?" I'm not sorted." Chloe asked.

"Not sure. Lets go ask Hagrid." Ginny said making her way out of the compartment with her belongings and Crookshanks, only to get stuck in a swarm of first years. "Hagrid?"

"Ah Ginny is see you've made a new friend." Hagrid said motioning for the first years to make a line.

"Yeah, um she's a 7th year but it's her first year here does she need to go with the first years?"

"Ah so you're the niece of . . . " Hagrid started but was stopped cut off by a quick yes from Chloe. "Uh-huh . . . ! Well I reckon you still gotta be sorted, so follow me to the boats.

Once inside the castle the nerves of the first years began to rub off on Chloe. 'What if I get put into a bad house?' Chloe thought while following Hagrid up the Great Hall. 'Will Draco still talk to me?' Her thoughts were soon cut off by the voice of a woman explaining the sorting procedure.

"All first years will stand in the center of the Great Hall and wait patiently for you name to be called. Once called you will walk to the stool, have a seat, and allow me to place the sorting hat on your head. Oh and Ms. Walker you will be the last to be sorted seeing as you are not a 1st year. Is all of that understood?" Professor McGonagall said opening the doors to the brightly lit Great Hall.


	13. Ch13

4

Chapter 13

Once inside the Great Hall the incoherent ramblings of the first years shifted into a jumble of unanimous 'Ooohs' and 'Aahhs'. Given its introduction the Sorting Hat Began its song. The song lasted only one minute; it gave a brief history of the houses then grew eerily still.

"Well then . . . let the Sorting begin." Albus Dumbledore said. "If you would Professor McGonagall.

"Of course Headmaster." McGonagall said lifting the Sorting Hat off the stool. "Andrews, Hayden"

'Slytherin'

"Andrews, Hunter"

'Gryffindor'

"Fairview, Anir"

'Slytherin'

"Greshmore, Lucian"

'Hufflepuff'

"Martin, Josiah"

'Ravenclaw'

"Mathews, Sierra"

'Ravenclaw'

"Medifield, Kaitrian"

'Hufflepuff'

"Mitchell, Sean"

'Slytherin'

"Morphaline, Justin"

'Hufflepuff'

"Morphaline, Zara"

'Hufflepuff'

"Newheart, Morgana"

'Ravenclaw'

"Postmeir, Alana"

'Hufflepuff'

"Reed, Jacob"

'Ravenclaw'

"Rein, Autumn"

'Gryffindor'

"Rein, Summer"

'Gryffindor'

"VonDruten, Lillyana"

'Gryffindor'

"Finally Chloe Walker." Professor McGonagall said motion for Chloe to be seated on the stool.

Once placed on her head the Sorting Hat began to speak. "Ah another Snape. Its been awhile since we had one of your kind, but there's something more . . . something different. That difference clearly puts you in HUFFLEPUFF!" The instant the Hat said it there was a choking sound coming from the Slytherin table.

"You may take a seat with your house." Professor McGonagall said with a wave of her hand towards the Hufflepuff table.

"Hello!" A girl with purple hair eagerly said from across the table. "I'm Ashley Ann!"

"Chloe."

"Yeah . . . I just heard giggle how is it you know Malfoy?"

"Oh hm . . . well we met over the summer."

"I've never seen that kind of a blatant shock on him. He normally mocks people. It's usually Harry Potter!"

"Really? I knew he had quite a reputation but I didn't know exactly how bad he was."

"There's really no proof but it's obvious his family is a big supporter of you-know-who. I mean Gods know he's got the body and the looks but the personality, uh lets just say it's scary!"

"So . . . would you mind showing me around the castle?" Chloe asked trying to change the subject.

"I'd love to!"

"Great."

"I'm not normally like this. I'm usually quiet. The hair tends to throw people off."

"I like it." Chloe said digging into her plate of food.

"The feast proceeded in the usual fashion. The only difference was the pair of identical glares on the faces of the Potions Master and Draco Malfoy.


	14. Ch14

4

Chapter 14

On the way out of the Great Hall Ashley Ann began pointing out objects around the castle. The Hufflepuff Common Room wasn't very far from the Great Hall. Outside the Common Room entrance Chloe saw Draco peering out of a doorway a short way down the hall.

"You know what. Now that I know where I'm at and the password, I think I'm going to take a short walk and look around a bit." Chloe said motioning for Ashley Ann to go ahead into the Common Room.

"Oh okay. See you later." Ashley Ann said whispering the password and disappearing into the brightly lit Common Room.

The closer Chloe got to the doorway where she had seen Draco the more she began to think about the eerie look on his face a few seconds ago, and the glares at dinnertime. The more Chloe thought about it the more frightened she became. 'I might as well just get this over with' she thought to herself and quickened her pace.

"Hello!" Chloe said once she reached the room. "Draco?"

"How exactly did you get yourself placed in Hufflepuff? Are you trying to ruin you uncles and my reputation. We worked hard for those you know and now you can't be seen around me. That kind of stuff just doesn't happen here." Draco growled from a near by table.

"Oh so its my fault that the hat placed me there."

"Yes you're the one who's head it was on!"

"Like I told it to put me in Hufflepuff. You should have known something like this would happen. I've got muggle blood in me, but that didn't seem to bother you before I was sorted." Chloe said starting to raise her voice.

"This just changes it all."

"How so?"

"Our houses don't interact. If I start now they'll know something is up."

"So we keep it secretive."

"Right like that will work with all the nosey people in this bloody school. Potter, Weasley, and the mudblood Granger will have it figured out in days." Draco said now starting to get slightly red in the face.

"I hate to be the one to tell you but they already know." Chloe said sitting down on a tabletop.

"**WHAT?** **You told them!"**

"No, I think you little 'we need to talk' growl on the train gave it all away, oh the choking in the Great Hall, and the glares yeah that helped too."

"Oh." Draco said growing silent.

"It didn't seem to bother them. They were quite fascinated."

"Yeah they probably want to hold it against me."

"What is that suppose to mean?"

"They'll keep it quiet until the time is right and use it against me in some way that's just how the rivalry between our houses goes. It's just one of those things in life that just happens."

With one swift movement Chloe slapped Draco across the face and started to walk towards the door. Draco sat there shocked for a moment before rushing after Chloe.

"**What the hell was that for?**"

"You're so pessimistic. Have you even tried to break rivalries or rituals? No because you're to worried about what other people think. Well I'll let you know what I think, I think its all stupid. You all need to grow up and get over it. You're not all the different." Chloe said worming her way out of Draco's grip and through the portal into the Common Room. Once inside the dormitory Chloe found Ashley Ann.

"Hey you okay?" Ashley Ann asked as Chloe sat down beside her in a chair near the back of the Common Room.

"Yeah. I had a nasty run-in with peeves." Chloe lied after remembering Draco talking about the poltergeist.

"He's a nasty one. He tends to taunt new people. You're not hurt are you?"

"No, no I'm fine. I do think I'm going to retire for the night could you show me which room is mine." Chloe asked handing Ashley Ann the paper with her school schedule and dormitory number.

"Sure it's the same one I'm in. We've only had two girls in that dorm room from the very beginning it'll be nice to have somebody else in there." After a short walk Ashley Ann pointed to a room on the left. "Here it is. This is my bed over there and that one is Susan's. You can have your pick of the other three beds."

"Okay, thanks. Um . . . where are we supposed to put our clothes?" Chloe asked looking at her trunk at the end of her bed.

"They should be in a wardrobe. Once you pick a bed they should be in the wardrobe net to it." Ashley Ann said pointing to her own wardrobe.

"Ah. Okay well I pick this bed, so my clothes should be in here?" Chloe said while walking towards the wardrobe next to the bed in the center of the three empty beds.

"Yep. They're there right?"

"Yeah. I'm slightly confused. How did . . . ?"

"House Elves."

The rest of the night passed quickly. Chloe decided she better double check her clothes, just in case to make sure they all made it to the wardrobe. After a quick shower she headed back to the room for a good night sleep before her first full day at Hogwarts.


End file.
